'Love in Action': Diocesan Convention meets Nov. 10 - 11 for 'Healing, Housing and Hope'
By Janet Kawamoto
[The Episcopal News – November 8, 2023] Delegates and clergy from the Diocese of Los Angeles' 133 congregations, plus exhibitors, staff, representatives of various ministry groups and visitors will head for the Riverside Convention Center (pictured below right) on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10 - 11, for the 128th meeting of Diocesan Convention, themed "Love in Action: For Healing, Housing and Hope."
The convention will be chaired by Bishop Diocesan John Harvey Taylor, with assistance from Canon to the Ordinary Melissa McCarthy and Secretary of Convention Canon Steven Nishibayashi, along with a team of diocesan staff members and volunteers. Convention logistics are managed by Samantha Wylie, convention coordinator ([email protected]).
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An early order of business will be the presentation of St. James' Mission Church, Newport Beach, to be admitted as a parish of the diocese. (See related story below or here.)
Highlights will include a panel discussion on multicultural ministries and the biannual Margaret Parker Lecture, this year featuring Robert Ross, retiring president and CEO of The California Endowment and a member of St. Mark's Church, Altadena. In his address, Ross will explore the nexus of philanthropy and social and racial justice. (Read more about Ross and the Parker lecture series here.)
Visitors are welcome at convention, either in person or online. Those attending in Riverside may watch convention proceeding from a designated gallery in the main hall, and will be welcome to browse the exhibit hall, which will feature displays from many ministries and organizations, as well as vendors with goods for sale. In-person delegates will have ample breaks in the convention agenda to check out the exhibits.
Read more here.
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Convention to vote on parish status for St. James', Newport Beach
By EN Staff
[The Episcopal News – November 8, 2023] A vote that would recognize the mission congregation of St. James' Church, Newport Beach, as a self-sustaining parish of the Diocese of Los Angeles is scheduled as one of the first agenda items for Diocesan Convention’s 128th annual meeting, set to open Nov. 10 in Riverside.
The measure follows a 2018 vote that admitted St. James’ as a mission congregation in union with Convention. St. James’ has continued to work closely with the diocesan Program Group on Mission Congregations and the Special Committee of Convention on the Incorporation of Parishes and the Admission of Missions, meeting canonical requirements toward parish status.
According to a letter from the Rev. Canon Kelli Grace Kurtz, committee chair: "The members of this special committee and its advisors duly met to discern whether the application made by St. James Episcopal Church in Newport, CA (St. James), seeking admission into union with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles as a parish is adequately, appropriately and completely submitted according to the Canons and Theology of Missions Handbook Requirements and Procedures."
Led by the Rev. Canon Cindy Evans Voorhees as vicar, the congregation of 275 members carries out ministries notable for community outreach and a partnership with the sibling mission congregation of St. Michael’s, Anaheim. More about St. James' Church is online.
Read more here.
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Celebrating a new ministry at St. Michael & All Angels Church, Corona Del Mar
November 6, 2023
Raised in Indiana, the Rev. Dr. Shane Scott-Hamblen is a former schoolteacher, monk, and seminary professor in church history, music, and liturgy. His liturgical gifts especially shone Saturday morning in his beautiful, innovative installation and induction service as the fourth rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Parish Church Corona del Mar, CA.
Read more here.
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Visiting Prince of Peace Church, Woodland Hills
November 6, 2023
Nearly 200 in church in two services, with dozens more tuned in to the professional looking, volunteer-produced three-camera video feed. A diverse congregation, with lots of young people. Lively coffee hour chat under the trees after the first service and warm fellowship in the parish hall after the second. Twenty-four baptized or confirmed. Dusty loafers from walking a construction site for a regional food bank and parish community center, set to open in the second half of 2024.
Read more here.
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Hospitality means creating welcoming space, Linda Hilton tells guests at retreat center event
By Pat McCaughan
[The Episcopal News – November 8, 2023] Bishop John Harvey Taylor sold Linda Hilton “like nobody’s business” on St. Paul’s Commons retreat center, the granddaughter of hotelier Conrad N. Hilton told a Nov. 2 gathering in Echo Park. “I want to come back," she said. "He made it exciting.”
Hospitality boils down to welcoming guests as if inviting them into your own home, said Hilton, senior director of intermediary group sales for the Hilton Hotels and Resorts, and vice chair of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. She was the featured speaker for “The Light of Hospitality” a campaign to encourage overnight guest stays at the St. Paul’s Commons Retreat Center.
... Taylor praised Hilton’s “radical belonging” philosophy, noting that it is applicable to church congregations. The gathering drew about 75 people and included diocesan staff-directed tours of the facilities, with its 16 retreat rooms with double beds, conference and meeting space, rooftop garden, state-of-the-art technical amenities and food and beverage service – all part of the center’s availability for “lakeside hospitality” for church vestries and other groups, Taylor said.
Read more here.
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SAVE THE DATE
Jan. 6 fiesta, immigration justice forum set for historic Church of the Epiphany, Lincoln Heights
[The Episcopal News] All in the diocese are invited to join the historic Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, Lincoln Heights, in celebrating the congregation’s Jan. 6 feast day and sharing in a strategic immigration justice forum.
Well known as a hub used by activists Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in organizing the United Farmworkers union, Church of the Epiphany continues its legacy of civil rights work, a central focus for the Saturday-afternoon immigration forum and related community resource street fair.
Organized under the theme “Epiphanies: A Festival of Discovery,” the 2 p.m. forum will include a panel discussion shared by leading local immigration justice advocates.
The congregation’s Mariachi procession and Eucharist for the Feast of the Epiphany will follow at 5 p.m. recalling decades of the congregation’s similar bilingual Latin American observances. Portions of a new gallery exhibit tracing Epiphany’s history will be on view during the fiesta and forum. Traditional foods and beverages of the season will be served.
The Jan. 6 events also will highlight the upcoming launch of the Lydia Lopez Center for Community Empowerment, an initiative honoring the late Canon Lydia Lopez, who was active in neighborhood, diocesan, and international ministries for more than 50 years. Focused on equipping new generations, the center will focus on immigration, education, cultural and history resources.
Read more here.
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Videos from forum countering white Christian nationalism available for adult ed, Lenten forums
[The Episcopal News – November 8, 2023] Videos from the diocesan forum “From Swords to Plowshares: Our Need to Address White Christian Nationalism” are now posted on the diocesan YouTube channel, available for adult education including Lenten study series. The videos can be paired with the diocesan Engagement Across Difference curriculum on Christian nationalism available here.
Video Part 1: The Rev. Pamela Cooper-White
In the first video, the Rev. Pamela Cooper White, introduced by Bishop John Harvey Taylor, keynotes the forum presented July 9 by the Program Group on Ecumenical and Interfaith Life of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. An Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist, Cooper White outlined points from her book The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People Are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide (Fortress Press, 2022). She is professor/dean emerita of psychology at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Her keynote address is presented in full in the first of two video recordings of the forum program, hosted at St. Paul’s Commons, Echo Park.
Video Part 2: The Rev. Janna Louie
In the second video, the Rev. Janna Louie, an L.A.-based American Baptist minister, offers perspectives from her work as chief of staff of the Baptist Joint Committee (BJC) for Religious Liberty. Her presentation focuses on ways in which the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community experience white Christian nationalism. Her presentation was followed by insights offered by Bishop Brenda Bos of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and Bishop Mary Ann Swenson (retired) of the United Methodist Church, a former vice-moderator of the World Council of Churches.
Co-organizers of the forum included diocesan interfaith ministers-in-residence Sable Manson, Tasneem Noor, and Tahil Sharma, working closely with Dot Leach, chair of the diocesan Program Group on Ecumenical and Interfaith Life.
Inquires about the videos may be emailed to [email protected].
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Paula Walker to be ordained to diaconate
Bishop John Harvey Taylor will ordain Paula Walker to the vocational (permanent) diaconate at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 at St. Mark’s Church, 1014 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena 91001.
The service will be live-streamed here.
The prayers and presence of the diocesan community (in person or online) are requested.
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FOR THE RECORD:
In an item in the Nov. 5 issue of the Update, titled "Tustin parish will feature new Requiem by associate priest on All Saints Sunday," the Rev. David P. Milligan was misidentified as a priest. He is ordained in a different denomination. The News regrets the error.
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#ShoesForCeasefire action at All Saints, Pasadena, calls for end to killing in Israel-Hamas war
All Saints Church in Pasadena staged #ShoesForCeaseFire, a dramatic display of shoes representing children killed in Gaza and Israel and called for decision-makers to demand a ceasefire and the release of all hostages in the Israel-Hamas War.
The Rev. Mike Kinman, rector, said, "More than 3,500 children have been killed since October 7. We believe there is no more powerful argument for an immediate ceasefire and the return of all hostages than that this slaughtering of innocents must stop. This is not an easy ask. Hamas has pledged to keep killing Jews, and it is natural for Jews everywhere to want to end such a threat to their security and very existence. And yet the continued killing of civilians … especially children … not only is a tragedy in its own right but serves to radicalize a Gaza that previous to October 7 was waning in its support of Hamas.”
The church invites the community to bring children's shoes to put by the flags, and to participate in the plea for peace by A sign stating the number of children killed is updated regularly with information from UNICEF. The display will remain until there is a ceasefire and release of hostages, after which the shoes will be donated to children in need.
All Saints Church is located at 132 N. Euclid Avenue, Pasadena. Photo: Keith Holeman
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'Philadelphia 11' documentary will be screened in Claremont
Deanery 6 invites all to a screening of the documentary film The Philadelphia 11 at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Laemmle Theater in Claremont.
The film follows the story of 11 women deacons who, convinced of their call to the priesthood and frustrated by the Episcopal Church's refusal to authorize the ordination of women, were made priests in 1974 by a group of supportive bishops at a service in Philadelphia. Although their action caused enormous controversy at the time, it influenced the next General Convention's vote to ordain women as priests.
A panel discussion with speakers who were present at these historic events will follow the screening.
"In this feature-length documentary film, we meet the women who succeed in building a movement that transforms an age-old institution, and challenges the very essence of patriarchy within Christendom," according to the film's website.
Reservations are requested and may be made here. Donations will be accepted at the door. The Laemmle Theater is located at 450 W 2nd Street, Claremont 91711-4664. Parking is available on the street, in the parking structure at the corner of College Avenue and First Street, and in several public lots.
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Diocesan staff to observe autumn, winter holidays
Diocesan offices at St. Paul's Commons and elsewhere will close for several holidays and events in November and December.
Offices will be closed on Friday, Nov. 10 as staff members assist with Diocesan Convention, meeting at the Riverside Convention Center Nov. 10 - 11. (Friday is also the observance of Veterans' Day.)
Offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 23 -24 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
In December, offices will be closed on Friday, Dec. 22 for Christmas Eve and Monday, Dec. 25 for Christmas Day, as well as Friday, Dec. 29 for New Year's Eve and Monday, Jan. 1 for New Year's Day.
The Episcopal News Update will be on hiatus for Thanksgiving week (issue date Nov. 26) and for Dec. 24 and 31. Announcements of January events should be submitted by early December so save-the-date notices can be included before the Christmas-New Year hiatus.
Each issue of the Update is emailed on Wednesday and dated for the following Sunday. Weekly deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m.
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Bloy House announces formation classes for laity
Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles, has added two new formation classes designed to meet requirements for the new diocesan lay licensing program, but of general interest as well.
The fee for formation classes is $25. Click here for more information and to register.
Anti-Racism for Laity
Tuesdays, November 28, Dec 5, 12, and 19; 7 - 8:30 p.m.
In accordance with a resolution of the 2000 General Convention that “the lay and ordained leadership of the Episcopal Church, including all ordained persons, professional staff, and those elected or appointed to positions of leadership on committees, commissions, agencies, and boards be required to take anti-racism training and receive certification of such training” the diocese now requires that every licensed lay minister complete training in understanding systems of oppression and how they affect the Episcopal Church and society in general. Facilitated by Suzanne Edwards-Action, M.A. (pastoral ministry), founder of My Work To Do. This class is required for all licensed lay ministries.
Introduction to the Bible for Lay Licensing
Tuesdays, January 9, 16, 23, and 30; 7 - 8:30 p.m.
While this course has been designed for the new diocesan lay licensing program, the topic is of general formation interest as well. How did we get the Bible we have today, and how do we best read and interpret it? We will cover the composition and construction of our Hebrew and Christian scriptures and pay close attention to the diverse voices and major themes that we encounter. These discussions will develop tools for interpretation and study of our sacred scripture. Facilitated by the Rev. Jerry Sather of St. John Chrysostom Church, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Linda Allport, dean of Bloy House. This course is required for licensing of lay preachers, evangelists, and pastoral leaders, and recommended for worship leaders and catechists.
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2024 United Thank Offering grants will fund projects 'Welcoming the Stranger'
United Thank Offering (UTO) gives out more than a million dollars each year in grants that fund innovative mission and ministry projects in the Episcopal Church and throughout the Anglican Communion.
Over the next few years, inspired by Matthew 25, UTO grants will focus on areas of ministry that serve those whom society has left out and left behind. The grant focus for 2024 will be on Jesus’ call to “welcome the stranger.” This includes funding projects that: welcome people with differences that cause isolation (culture, life experience, disability, mental health, etc.) in new ways that are meaningful and deemed necessary by that community, or encourage truth telling, acknowledging historic trauma, and establishing a pathway towards healing.
Church or ministry leaders interested in applying for a UTO grant may click here and review the documents under the “Application Materials for the Episcopal Church” tab at the bottom of the page. Note that the grant proposal must be submitted by the UTO coordinator for the diocese with a letter of support from the bishop diocesan, and only one grant can be submitted per diocese. These grants are for new projects or existing projects that are expanding in a substantially new direction. Typical grants are for $55,000 or less, but can be up to $100,000 with additional budget documentation.
Those interested in applying should email Bishop John Harvey Taylor ([email protected]) and Tammy Smecker-Hane ([email protected]), the diocese's UTO diocesan coordinator, a one-paragraph proposal description by Nov 18. If more than one group is interested in applying, a diocesan committee will evaluate the proposals and select one to go forward. The committee will work with to submit the best possible proposal, which will be due on Jan 19, 2024.
To discuss project ideas in advance, email Smecker-Hane at address above. She also will be at the UTO booth at Diocesan Convention, to be held Nov. 10 - 11 at the Riverside Convention Center.
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By Your Side training for end-of-life and crisis companions to begin Nov. 20
By Your Side online training sessions for Fall 2023 will begin on Nov. 20 and continue through Dec. 18, meeting on Mondays via Zoom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
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Since 2011, the mission of By Your Side has been to support people in times of change and difficulty, particularly in health crisis, and to have trained volunteers at their bedsides at the end of their lives as needed. More than 500 volunteers have been trained to be such a compassionate presence.
By Your Side, a ministry of Episcopal Communities & Services, an institution of the Diocese of Los Angeles, continues to develop teams of people to serve in hospital and long-term care settings, especially in ECS communities. Team members have had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of what it means to really be “with” the people they support; those having difficulty with changes in their lives, with challenging diagnoses or increasing frailty. In the larger community, individuals and spiritual care teams strengthen their understanding of what being together through the end of life can really look like. Volunteers gain tools for taking care of themselves while being present for others.
All interested persons are invited to join By Your Side in this exploration. There is no obligation to volunteer at the end of the training. A fee of $70 (which includes all materials) is due by the second class. Scholarships are available. CE (12 hours) for nurses is available for an added $30 under California Board of Registered Nursing Provider CEP 16239.
For further information and to register for training sessions, contact Susan Brown at [email protected] or 818.822.6044.
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Help Ramallah orphanage replace furnace through LA - Jerusalem companion diocese ties
Contributions especially welcome amid current tensions
Amid suffering and tensions escalated by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel, support for charitable projects in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem is doubly appreciated. Concrete initiatives include replacement of the 57-year-old furnace at Ramallah’s Arab Evangelical-Episcopal Home and School.
Donors are invited to join Bishop John Harvey Taylor and others in the Diocese of Los Angeles in contributing via this secure link on L.A.’s diocesan website to assist the $60,000 furnace replacement project, increasingly important as fall weather gives way to winter cold.
Fundraising efforts – highlighted by the Rev. Fadi Diab, rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Ramallah, and his wife, Ruba Gammoh, during their visit to the United States this past summer – have succeeded in raising nearly $20,000 toward the effort, with additional gifts from congregations and individuals requested to meet the goal.
Read more here.
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At church building’s centennial, All Saints report candidly tells the whole story of the land it occupies
[Pasadena Now – November 6, 2023] In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of its sanctuary, All Saints Church, an Episcopal institution in Pasadena, has unveiled a comprehensive report that delves into the history of the land upon which the church stands.
The report, a statement by All Saints Church said, offers “an honest look at the history of the land,” from its original indigenous inhabitants, the Tongva people, through multiple waves of colonization, to how All Saints Church itself purchased and has used the land.
The statement said the landmark report has been meticulously reviewed by Tongva members and local historians and sheds light on the complex historical context inherited by the church. It candidly addresses issues like the colonization and tragic fate of the Tongva people, alongside the ecological consequences of land development in the region.
Read more here.
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Presiding bishop says ‘stop the killing’ in Middle East as death toll rises from Israel-Hamas war
By David Paulsen
[Episcopal News Service – November 7, 2023] Presiding Bishop Michael Curry issued a statement on Nov. 7 decrying the reported killing of 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza so far by the Israeli military in response to Hamas’ massacre of Israelis a month ago. Curry called for an end to all killing in the region while acknowledging the conflict’s complexities.
“Today I raise my voice for love because more than 10,000 people have died in Gaza, including more than 4,000 children,” Curry said, citing figures reported by Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. “The violence is horrific, and the geopolitics are complex, but my call to love is simple: Stop the killing. Stop all of it. Stop it today.”
Curry’s statement marks his most direct comments yet on the intensifying conflict. It comes one month after Israel declared war on Hamas, the armed militant group that controls Gaza, for its surprise attack Oct. 7 on communities in southern Israel. Hamas gunmen killed an estimated 1,400 Israelis and took about 200 more hostage, according to Israeli officials.
Read more here.
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Episcopal Urban Caucus gathers in Philadelphia to learn about urban ministries, honor Bishop Barbara Harris
By Shireen Korkzan
[Episcopal News Service – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – November 6, 2023] The Episcopal Urban Caucus spent three days learning about different approaches to urban ministries using the Diocese of Pennsylvania, which includes Philadelphia and its suburbs, as a backdrop for what has worked in the region.
The caucus meets annually in a different city as a form of continuing education. Because each city is unique, ministry methods from an urban lens may also be distinct.
The Rt. Rev. Daniel Gutiérrez, bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, told Episcopal News Service that he “admires and respects” the work members of the Episcopal Urban Caucus do.
“They devote their lives to proclaiming Christ, not by word but by example. And they go, they step into the pain, and they place it at the forefront,” Gutiérrez said. “That’s what our church should be. Not at a distance, but we enter into it. It’s what we call the incarnation.”
Read more here.
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Registration open for the 'Great EpisGOpal Race' Nov. 20-28
[UTO and EMM] Building on 20 years of partnership, United Thank Offering and Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM) are teaming up for the 4th annual "Great EpisGOpal Race." This Nov. 20-28 virtual event offers multiple fun ways — running, biking, swimming, hiking, paddle boarding, and more — to participate and raise funds to support refugee resettlement and other EMM programs.
Sign up on your own or create a team. Learn more here.
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UTO matching grant challenge to support ministries of Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem
[The Episcopal Church - November 2, 2023] The United Thank Offering – in partnership with the Good Friday Offering – will match up to $100,000 of donations given through Dec. 15 to help sustain outreach ministries in the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which operates across several countries or territories and includes churches, schools, medical facilities, and other ministries.
“United Thank Offering has supported the diocese with over $1 million in grants since 1973, thanks to the generosity of Episcopalians everywhere,” said UTO Board President Sherri Dietrich. “We know people want to help those projects continue their work through and after the current heartbreaking conflict; this challenge grant will allow us all to make a powerful contribution to those impacted by this conflict.”
Matched donations to the United Thank Offering will be given in 2024 as a grant to the diocese to disburse where the needs are greatest.
Read more here.
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Interested in giving input on the 2025-2027 Episcopal Church budget?
[The Episcopal Church] The Joint Budget Committee of the Executive Council will hold open hearings via Zoom to receive feedback from the wider church on the 2025-2027 working budget. The working budget was presented to the Episcopal Church Executive Council during its Oct. 24-27 meeting and is available publicly for review and input.
Register to be a speaker or listener at the following hearings, held via Zoom:
Thursday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. (7 p.m. ET)
Saturday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m. (2 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 4 p.m. (7 p.m. ET)
Click here to register for hearings.
In addition, at 1 p.m. (4 p.m. ET) on Monday, Nov. 20, the budget committee will hold a Zoom session with the Executive Council. The public is invited to observe the session, but will not be able to participate.
Written responses regarding the budget can be emailed to [email protected].
Read the budget committee’s recent update to the Executive Council here.
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THURSDAYS, 7 p.m.
Episcopal Students of UCLA
St. Alban's Episcopal Church
580 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles
Information: [email protected]
We are a group of Christians, looking to further our relationship with God and strengthen our bonds in Christian community. Meeting in the library at St. Alban's Episcopal Church (right near campus), we are a welcoming community whose goal is to live out the truth of the gospel through spiritual growth, community experience, and service.
FRIDAYS, 6 - 7 p.m.
Vigil for Peace
St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church
3233 Pacific View Drive, Corona Del Mar, 92625
Information here Zoom Meeting ID: 912 3096 9532; Passcode: 080100.
Worship bulletins here
Join us every Friday in the St. Michael’s sanctuary and on Zoom as we pray for peace in our community and around the world.
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Through NOVEMBER 11 (hours vary)
37th Brass Rubbing Medieval Arts Center
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
525 E. 7th Street, Long Beach 90813
Information and hours here (scroll down the page)
Reservations: [email protected] or Gail Mutke, 562.439.9496.
Visitors may choose from more than 100 reproduction-engraved plates of brass to do a rubbing, transferring the design to paper. A trained instructor will provide rag paper, metallic waxes, and instructions for visitors to create their masterpiece. Hangers are provided for the finished artwork. Workshops, afternoon tea and more are available by appointment.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 12 – 2 p.m.
SAGES Lunch & Speaker Series
All Saints' Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills
Reservations: [email protected]
With Geoff Rusack, son of the late Los Angeles Bishop Robert Rusack and Janice Rusack, and a long-time friend of All Saints’, Beverly Hills, and St. Matthew’s, Pacific Palisades. He and his wife, Alison Wrigley Rusack, own Rusack Vinyards in the Santa Ynez Valley,and oversee the Wrigley family interests in the Catalina Island Company. A lawyer, a wine maker, a surfer, a native Los Angeleno, Geoff is a very accomplished and delightful guy—he will talk with us about wine growing on Catalina Island, as well as the interesting history and restoration that has taken place to date. Suggested donation: $15. SAGES is All Saints' fellowship ministry for mature adults. We gather two Thursdays a month for lunch, friendship, prayer and engaging presentations.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 8 p.m.
Chamber Music Concert
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
1031 Bienveneda Avenue, Pacific Palisades
Information/Tickets here or 310.573.7422
Featured on the program will be Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915; Benjamin Britten’s Nocturne for Tenor, 7 Obbligato Instruments, Strings and Timpani; and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Charterhouse Suite for String Orchestra. Soprano Holly Sedillos and tenor Jon Lee Keenan will be the featured vocalists. Tickets are $45 or Music Guild Season pass. A free pre-concert lecture by Music Guild president Tom Neenan begins at 7:10 p.m.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1 - 3 p.m.
Community Book Reading celebrating author Cathy Pepe
St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church
2901 Nojoqui Avenue, Los Olivos 93441
The Women’s Guild of St. Mark’s invites the community to a reading of the late Cathy Pepe’s Grandma Gang Mysteries. Pepe was a long-time parishioner at St. Mark’s. During the pandemic, she fulfilled her dream of writing a book inspired by her younger brother, Donny, who was born with Down Syndrome. One book turned into four, and the last was published posthumously after Pepe died in the Spring of 2023. The youth series, written for ages 8 and above, is about Donny and his sister, Mary Grace, who move from Kansas to California to live with their grandmother. Together along with her mystery-solving group known as the “Grandma Gang,” they solve crimes, combat bullies, and rescue those in trouble in the Lompoc Valley.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 4 p.m.
Potluck Sunday Dinner with Ronald C. Byrd, Sr.
Church of the Advent
4976 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles 90016
The Rev. Canon Ronald C. Byrd Sr., missioner for African Descent Ministries on the staff of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, will share news of his work with the wider Episcopal Church before dinner at about 4:30 p.m. Bring a favorite delicious dish to share. Sponsored by the Program Group on Black Ministries and the H. Belfield Hannibal Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 6 p.m.
Classical Sundays at Six: The Debussy Trio & Friends
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010
Information here
A world-renowned harpist, Marcia Dickstein has been enticing new audiences to harp in chamber music and solo with orchestra, and inspiring composers to write new works for harp in classical and jazz genres, for many years. Founder/artistic director of The Debussy Trio, she has performed worldwide, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan, over NPR radio, PBS, and numerous TV channels. Read more about the artists here.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 4 - 5 p.m.
Conversations From Your Spiritual Core
The Guibord Center
Online event: register here
" ... an event to help people have better conversations about charged social and political issues. We strive to make each person, who seeks change, is treated with respect and comforted. The situation is constantly growing, which has become part of our contribution to the growing bridge-building movement in the United States." The event is limited to 35 participants and will not be recorded; register early. The Guibord Center: Religion Inside Out is an L.A.-based organization that works to increase understanding among the area's diverse religious groups.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 6 p.m.
Santa Ynez Valley Interfaith Thanksgiving Service
Bethania Church
603 Atterdag Road, Solvang
This beloved service brings together diverse voices and faith traditions to gather in unity to express shared gratitude and support. After the service, a reception will follow in the parish hall with savory and sweet refreshments and for conversation among community members. St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Los Olivos, is one of the congregations participating in this service.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 7 - 8 p.m.
A Gratitude Taizé
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
525 E. 7th Street, Long Beach 90813
Information: 562-436-4047
St. Luke’s invites all to this quiet hour of prayer, chant and renewal. Taizé services will be held online throughout the year. Online services are available here or by joining on this Zoom link. (Meeting ID: 881 7586 9132, Password 525)
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 7:30 p.m.
A Service in the style of Taizé
All Saints Episcopal Church
504 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210
Information here or 310.275.0123 or [email protected]
Begun many years ago at the ecumenical French monastic community called Taizé, these services, with candlelight and singing of chants, are a wonderful way to refresh in the midst of a busy week.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 7 - 8 p.m.
A Thanksgiving Taizé
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
1432 Engracia Avenue, Torrance 90501
Information: 310.540.1722
The mutual ministry of St. Andrew's and Christ Church, Redondo Beach, invites all to this monthly candlelit service of music, meditation and prayer. Taizé services will be held in-person or online throughout the year. Livestream is available here
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 4 p.m.
Schubertiade I - Die Winterreise
St. Mark's in-the-Valley Episcopal Church
2901 Nojoqui Avenue, Los Olivos
Tickets and information here
Part of the Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series, this is the first of two events devoted to the music of Franz Schubert and features the epic song cycle Die Winterreise. (The second will be on Sunday, February. 18, 2024.) Performers Ben Lowe, baritone, and Robert Cassidy, piano, recorded the cycle in November 2019 at Studio Hill in Austin, Texas. CDs will be available for purchase at the concert. Tickets are $25; students are free. Sponsorships and season tickets are available.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 5 p.m.
Tesserae: Il Pastor Fido
All Saints Episcopal Church
504 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210
Information here or 310.275.0123 or [email protected]
First published in 1590, Guarini’s pastoral tragicomedy was not only a highly popular literary work. It also became a primary source of texts for composers of madrigals and monodies throughout the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Featuring complex webs of love affairs and a vivid mythological-pastoral setting, the poem inspired some of the most harmonically adventurous and dramatic musical settings of the period, including Caccini’s famous "Amirilli, mia bella." The program will also feature works by Monteverdi, Rossi, Marenzio and others.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 6 p.m.
Classical Sundays at Six: Althea Waites, piano
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010
Information here
Selections include: "Fantasy and Fugue in C Major," K. 394, by W.A. Mozart; "Flamenco and Fugal Dance" by Margaret Bonds; Three-Fours (Waltz Suite), Opus 71 by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; "Momentum" by Tania Leon; Sonata in A Minor, D. 784 by Franz Schubert. Internationally acclaimed pianist Althea Waites has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative artist. Read more about this artist here.
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 9 a.m.
Thanksgiving Service
St. Mark's-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church
2901 Nojoqui Avenue, Los Olivos
Information: 805.688.4454 or here
St. Mark's welcomes all to gather in gratitude for the many gifts God so graciously gives. A reception will follow in Stacy Hall.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 6 p.m.
Classical Sundays at Six: YuEun Kim, violin & Sung Chang, piano
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010
Information here
Featuring Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Opus 100 by Johannes Brahms and Fantasy in C Major, D. 934 by Franz Schubert. Violinist YuEun Gemma Kim, born in South Korea, started playing piano at age 5 and violin at 7. She moved to the United States about seven years ago to study at USC under the tutelage of violinist Midori Goto. She won first place in USC’s Solo Bach Competition and the Strings Concerto Competition, and was a semi-finalist at the Qingdao International Violin Competition (China) and the Michael Hill International Violin Competition (New Zealand). She was second prize winner at the Boulder International Competition: Art of Duo in 2018. Read more about this artist here.
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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 5 p.m.
Documentary Screening: The Philadelphia Eleven
Christ Episcopal Church
408 S. Broadway, Redondo Beach
Reservations: [email protected] or 310.540.1722
The Mutual Ministry of St. Andrew's Torrance and Christ Church Redondo Beach will screen The Philadelphia Eleven, a documentary about the first eleven Episcopal women to be ordained to the priesthood in 1974. All are invited to attend. The showing will be in the parish hall and refreshments will be served. Donations are welcome. Reservations recommended by Nov. 27.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 4 p.m.
An Advent Service of Lessons and Carols
Church of the Epiphany
5450 Churchwood Drive, Oak Park 91377
Information here or [email protected] or 818.991.4797
This service tells a story of God’s work through history through scripture, anthems, and congregational song. It begins with the story of the fall of humanity, continues through the prophets assuring God’s people of God’s love and promising a coming Messiah, and concludes with the Annunciation and Mary’s joyful song of praise. Epiphany’s Parish Choir and Schola lead this service.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 5 p.m.
An Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols
All Saints Episcopal Church
504 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210
Information here or 310.275.0123 or [email protected]
All Saints’ Choir performs this seasonal favorite including: Advent Responsory by Richard Marlow; "Adam lay ybounden" by Philip Ledger, "Comfort, Comfort Ye My People," arr. Goudimel; "E’en so, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" by Paul Manz; "The Cherry Tree Carol," arr. John Scott; "Dancing Day" by Craig Phillips (music director at All Saints' Church), "A Hymn to the Mother of God" by John Tavener; "Magnificat in G" by C. V. Stanford; and Vesper Responsory by G. P. Palestrina.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 5 p.m.
Advent Lessons and Carols
St. Wilfrid of York Episcopal Church
18631 Chapel Lane, Huntington Beach 92646
The choir and clergy of St. Wilfrid’s invite you to participate in Advent Lessons & Carols, a beautiful and inspired candlelit evening to begin the season of Advent.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 6 p.m.
Classical Sundays at Six: Samuel Nebyu, violin
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010
Information here
With Jacopo Giacopuzzi, piano; YuEun Kim, violin; Sung Chang, piano will perform Les Caquets - Rondo en Staccato by Chevalier de Saint-Georges; Sonata in A Major, Opus 47 “Kreutzer” by Ludwig Van Beethoven and La Jota Aragonesa, Opus 5, by Jose White. Ethiopian-Hungarian violinist Samuel Nebyu has performed as a soloist at international music festivals and venues throughout the world. Read more about this artist here.
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 12 – 2 p.m.
SAGES Lunch & Speaker Series
All Saints' Episcopal Church
504 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills
Reservations: [email protected]
Marilyn Wells, founder of Stories from the Front Line. A psychologist by training, Dr. Wells leads a citizen-based outreach organization to the homeless in the city of Los Angeles. Her team is tireless in their pursuit of various solutions to homelessness in our local communities. Come hear her understanding of the biggest issues facing the unhoused, as well as the most viable solutions. Suggested donation: $15. SAGES is All Saints' fellowship ministry for mature adults. We gather two Thursdays a month for lunch, friendship, prayer and engaging presentations.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Spiritual Retreat for Women: The Desert Mothers
Trinity Episcopal Church
2400 N. Canal Street, Orange
Reservations: 714.528.2995
Julie Mussche, a spiritual director with the Center for Spiritual Development in Orange, will lead a half-day spiritual retreat for women on the subject of desert mothers. She will use the books The Way To Discernment by Elizabeth Liebert and The Desert Mothers by Mary Earle. Co-sponsored by Church of the Blessed Sacrament, Placentia. Cost is $35, which includes continental breakfast and lunch. Cash and checks (payable to Blessed Sacrament Church, with "Women's Retreat" in the memo area) will be accepted at the door.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 4:15 p.m.
Advent Service of Lessons and Carols
St. James in-the-City Episcopal Church
3903 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles 90010
Information here
Patterned after the ever-popular service of Nine Lessons and Carols originating from King’s College, Cambridge, England, this service on the Second Sunday of Advent is offered by the Choir of Saint James. Selections include; Advent Responsory by Richard Marlow; "This is the Truth from Above" by Ralph Vaughan Williams; "Vis Aeternitatis" by James Buonemani (music director at St. James'); "My Lord has Come" by Will Todd; "Alleluya, a New Work" by William Mathias; "I Wonder as I Wander" by Aaron McDermid; "Angelus ad Virginem" by Andrew Carter; "The Shepherd’s Carol" by Bob Chilcott; "O Magnum Mysterium" by Morten Lauridsen.
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Events to be included in the online diocesan calendar and in the Update may be emailed to [email protected]. | |
Food Pantry
Our Saviour Center
4368 Santa Anita Avenue, El Monte
With lower pandemic numbers and everyone back at school and work our Food Pantry is in need of volunteers. Lend a hand on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., rain or shine, to help us help the neediest families in our community. Volunteers should be age 16 and up. Street parking is available on Santa Anita, McGirk and Lambert avenues. Please wear a mask. All activities are outdoors; dress appropriately and wear close-toed shoes. For information or to sign up (not required), email [email protected].
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October 7 – 17, 2024
Italy Pilgrimage
Join the Rev. Steve De Muth and the Rev. Barrett Van Buren for an 11-day pilgrimage across Italy. We will visit Venice, Florence, Assisi, and Rome. The tour price includes roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles, first class/select hotels, most meals, professional tour director, comprehensive sightseeing, all hotel service charges and local taxes, porterage and entrance fees. Cost is $4,549 per person from Los Angeles including $520 taxes/airline surcharges. For information, contact Steve De Muth, 100 N. Third Ave., Covina, CA 91723 or 626.967.3939 or [email protected]. A full itinerary is here.
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EMPLOYMENT
Listings may be sent to [email protected]. There is no charge.
CORONA DEL MAR: Director of Music. Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church seeks a director of music to help us create inspiring and transformative liturgical experiences in the English Cathedral tradition. The successful candidate will be an outstanding musician, choral director, and organist, with a track record in cathedral music or a similar setting. At present, the position is part-time with hopes of increasing the position to full-time in the next couple of years. A full job description and application information can be found here.
COSTA MESA: Music Minister, St. John the Divine Episcopal Church. Working in conjunction with, and directly reporting to the rector, the Music Minister serves as organist/pianist and choir director. The Music Minister is encouraged to use traditional Episcopal hymns along with contemporary music, using a variety of hymnals, instruments and accommodating the abilities of volunteers. As this is a worship leadership position in our church, the qualified candidate must understand himself, or herself, as first and foremost a person who worships God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23). This is a non benefited part-time job position. A full job description with application information is here.
COSTA MESA: Parish Administrator, Saint John the Divine Episcopal Church. The Parish Administrative Assistant (AA) serves the church working directly with the rector of the parish. The AA is responsible for a wide variety of communication and administrative tasks and is the key contact (with the clergy) for groups using the facility, and visitors. The non-benefited position is approximately 15 hours a week, currently Tuesday-Thursdays, 10 - 3 p.m. A full job description with application information is here.
MANHATTAN BEACH: Choir Section Leaders, Trinity Lutheran Church. Nine month contract – Saturday morning rehearsal 9-11 a.m. Sunday morning 9 a.m. call for 10 a.m. service. Also Christmas, Holy Week, and Easter. Benefits as per California employment law. Compensation is essentially $100 a week on a per-call basis. Solo opportunities as well. Looking for good readers and strong singers to thrive in a vocally healthy and creative environment. For questions, or to set up an audition, please send resume and possible sound clip to Director of Music & Liturgy James Koenig; [email protected] or text 323.309.9532.
PASADENA: Childcare staff. All Saints Church is seeking two part-time employees to care for groups of five to 20 children on-site during Sunday services (8 a.m. - 1 p.m.). Hours will vary during other days of the week, usually focused around afternoons and evenings depending on program status and family needs. Total hours per week are a minimum of 5 on Sunday, and will not exceed a total of 8 hours per week. A full job description is here.
SANTA MONICA: Music Director. St. Augustine by-the-Sea, an inclusive and progressive Episcopal Church, is seeking a creative and dynamic music director to lead its music program. An organist and adult choir are in place. The music director will select choral offerings and help plan music and manage the church's music program, rehearsing and directing the choir. Full job description is here. Compensation: $25,000+. Starts Summer 2023 (negotiable). Send resume and references to the Rev. Nathan Rugh, rector, at [email protected].
TUSTIN: Sexton. St. Paul's Episcopal Church. 25 hours/week. The sexton serves to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and readiness of Church facilities to enable the work and ministry of the congregation and to create a pleasant atmosphere for members, guests, and staff. Job description here. Contact: [email protected].
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The Episcopal News Update is published on Wednesday afternoons. News items, job listings, calendar items, questions and comments may be sent to [email protected]. Weekly deadline is Tuesday at 12 p.m. Photos are welcome: please include them as email attachments (rather than embedded in a document). To subscribe, click here.
— Janet Kawamoto, editor
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